Iowa delegation reacts to resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary

Members of the Iowa Congressional delegation are reacting to the resignation of Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Eric Shinseki, in the wake of the ongoing scandal over the poor treatment of veterans. Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Clive told Radio Iowa last week that firing Shinseki wouldn’t solve the systemic problems within the system. Latham , who represents the 3rd District, issued this statement today on Shinseki’s resignation:

“Secretary Shinseki’s resignation is a good first step in establishing accountability at the VA. However, his resignation is not the answer to the over-arching and far reaching systemic problems at the bureacratic VA. There must be changes within the culture of the VA, significant changes that hold those accountable who do not put the veteran above their own person gain. I will not let the failure of the VA be forgotten and I will continue to push for real change at the VA,” said Congressman Latham.

Second District Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, joined Latham last week to tour the VA hospital in Des Moines. He released this statement:

“As a military parent, I have been outraged by what has come to light at VA health centers across the nation. I appreciate Secretary Shinseki’s prior service to our nation, but believe that his resignation is the only way for the Agency to start fresh and ensure our veterans receive the timely access to health care they deserve. It is now time to move forward and focus on how we as a nation provide the best health care for those who defended our country. We must redouble our efforts to rectify this situation and provide the VA with the resources they need to prevent anything like this from happening in the future.”

Democrat Senator Tom Harkin’s statement:

“Our nation’s veterans have earned access to the best services our government can provide, but over the past few years that has not been what they have received from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Secretary Shinseki has been a devoted public servant who has done exemplary work on behalf of our country for four decades and the current situation at the VA should not diminish his decades of service to his country. The task before us is to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they have earned, educational opportunities that lead to good jobs, and health care that is both timely and high quality. Congress must now get back to the task at hand and ensure the VA has the resources to implement these solutions.”

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley’s statement:

“When problems in a department are widespread, the top leadership bears ultimate responsibility for the management shortcomings that let it happen. But this can’t be the end of the story. The problems will still be there after this resignation, and they need to be fixed. Everyone in the department who was responsible should go. The Senate should take up the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act that the House passed last week to help make that possible. That legislation makes it easier to fire senior Veterans Affairs employees over poor performance. I’m co-sponsoring the Senate companion bill. Too often, a resignation at the top becomes an excuse for a president to abandon reforms and escape accountability. This resignation doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t give President Obama a free pass to move on.”

First District Democrat Congressman Bruce Braley released this statement:

“Despite the recent and ongoing issues at the VA that led to today’s resignation, Secretary Shinseki’s service to our country deserves our sincerest respect and gratitude. While I agree with today’s decision, this in no way diminishes our responsibility to fully investigate recent allegations of misconduct, punish those involved-and most importantly-to work together to solve these problems in service to America’s veterans. We all owe that to the generations of America’s veterans who continue to rely on the VA for quality care.”

Fourth District Republican Congressman Steve King issued this statement:

“General Shinseki has lost the confidence of our veterans,” said King. “I thank him for serving our country. His replacement will need the maximum authority to reform this government run Healthcare system. I have long supported giving our veterans a healthcare credit card they can use anywhere. This will inject competition into the VA. We have thousands of excellent and dedicated healthcare workers in the VA. We also have a preview of what a microcosm of ObamaCare looks like. If government can’t fix the VA for our veterans, how can government manage healthcare for all Americans?”